Private nonprofit · University
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas · Distant town
- 70.5%
- Admit rate
- $22,130
- Avg net price
- 69%
- Graduation rate
- $52,876
- Median earnings
Harding University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Searcy, Arkansas (distant town setting), enrolling 3,382 undergraduates. It has a Churches of Christ religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Harding University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 70.5%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1050–1290
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.41
Enter a test score to see where you land against Harding University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Harding University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy is the largest city in and the county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. Originally named White Sulphur Springs, the town's name was changed in 1837, two years after White County was created. The state changed the county seat name to honor Richard Searcy (1794–1832), a prominent Arkansas Legislator. One of the state's largest banks, First Security Bank, was established in downtown Searcy in 1932 as Security Bank. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Distant town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 47 miles to Little Rock, AR
- To the ocean
- 347 miles
- Nearest airport
- 46 miles to Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field (LIT)
How Harding University compares
More selective than 63% · #8 most selective of 15 in Arkansas
Higher than 53%
Higher than 76% · #4 of 21 in Arkansas
Higher than 79%
Higher than 47% · #6 of 22 in Arkansas
Cheaper than 40% · #18 cheapest of 21 in Arkansas
Lower than 20%
Lower than 50%
Larger than 71%
Percentiles compare Harding University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Arkansas.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate3,38274%
- Graduate1,16026%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,92257%
- Men1,46043%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White80%
- Black4.5%
- Hispanic4.8%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial9.6%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,382
- Graduate enrollment
- 1,160
- Student–faculty ratio
- 13 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 24%
- First-generation students
- 21%
- Students over 25
- 5%
- Median family income
- $71,055
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $72,072
- Endowment
- $217,276,124
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 70.5%
- Test scores
- Required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1050–1290
- SAT average
- 1182
- SAT reading
- 530–660
- SAT math
- 520–630
- ACT composite
- 20–29
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.41
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $26,262
- Room & board
- $9,060
- Books & supplies
- $598
- Total cost of attendance
- $39,534
- Average net price
- $22,130
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 69%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 52%
- First-year retention
- 86%
- Transferred to another college
- 21%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,555
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $52,876
- Median debt at graduation
- $26,500
- Students with federal loans
- 44%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 69%
About 17% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 2,687
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 79%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,460
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,256
- Application fee
- $50
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Great American Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 478 (327 men · 151 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 13
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 19
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 8 campuses (4,696 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$19,832/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from Harding University itself, averaging $13,739, which softens the sticker price.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 800 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $52,876
- Typical debt at graduation
- $26,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 50%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 61%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $11,608 (24%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 93°F
- Winter low
- 30°F
- Annual rain
- 51.8″
- Annual snow
- 1.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Searcy, AR US station (1.5 mi from campus).
What Harding University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Harding University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Harding University side by side →
Stetson University
DeLand, Florida · Small city · 35 mi to Orlando
- Students
- 2,297
- Admission
- 72%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1176
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $52k
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, Texas · Midsize city · 140 mi to Fort Worth
- Students
- 3,195
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $26k
- SAT
- 1194
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $56k
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, Ohio · Large suburb · 12 mi to Cleveland
- Students
- 2,842
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- 1194
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
Taylor University
Upland, Indiana · Distant rural · 47 mi to Fort Wayne
- Students
- 2,025
- Admission
- 74%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1220
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $52k
Berry College
Mount Berry, Georgia · Small suburb · 53 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 2,245
- Admission
- 64%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1220
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $54k
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee · Large suburb · 15 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 2,773
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1129
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $54k
Colleges near Harding University
Searcy Beauty College
Searcy, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 54 students
Arkansas State University-Beebe
Beebe, AR · Public · Certificate · 1,986 students
Arthur's Beauty College
Jacksonville, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 29 students
Arkansas Welding Academy
Jacksonville, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 73 students
Lyon College
Batesville, AR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 648 students
The Salon Professional Academy
Sherwood, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 106 students
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville
Batesville, AR · Public · Certificate · 751 students
Arkansas State University-Newport
Newport, AR · Public · Certificate · 1,236 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













